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Jesus Claimed to be the Life, John 14:6

This claim is stunning when seen from the viewpoint of His humanity. Humans die, and their bodies decay in the grave. Given that Jesus is not just human but divine, He is eternal. He also conquered death through His resurrection to demonstrate the durability of His endless life (Hebrews 7:16). The claim Jesus makes that He is the life rests again on His divinity. As God, He has life within Himself in the same way the Father has life in Himself (John 5:26). This truth claim has significance beyond the life He possesses on His own that death cannot take away. Rather, this claim exhibits His absolute authority to give this same eternal life to those “to whom He will” (5:21).

Furthermore, since Jesus claims to be the life, all life in the created order has its source in Him. Paul makes this astonishing claim when he writes,

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth…All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Consequently,since Christ is the source of all life, He alone determines the reality or truth for guiding it, as He is the source for that truth. This claim has no equal in creation but is unique beyond anyone in the created order could make” (from “Nothing But the Gospel,” Floyd Talbot, Action Faith Books Press, 2014, pp. 77-78).

Is it little wonder that Jesus could call Lazarus back from the dead (John 11:1-44)? As the source of life, Jesus imparts and restores it with a word. Life resides in Him unlike the way it resides in the creature or creation. Our life depends on other created things, such as plants, animals, and the atmosphere and environment of our planet. Their life depend on a greater source – Jesus. He has life within Himself. We do not. Initially, God breathed His life into a human being, Adam, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). One might ask, “Was Jesus not the source of life?” YES! Then how could Jesus be the source of life when God created all of life. The answer is that Jesus claimed to be God when He claimed He was “the way, the truth, and the life” who was from the beginning as the second person of the Trinity. It is for the reason that Jesus could claim,

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26).

The life that God has does not depend on anything else. God as the Trinity is independently life. That independent life resides in all three persons of the Trinity. For this reason, Jesus could impart life to whom He wishes (5:21). We cannot impart life to another because we are of the created order and must depend on an outside source for our own life. That outside source is Jesus. Jesus stated,

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (5:24).

Jesus grants life to all who believe. Do you believe Him?

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